Wrexham continue to exceed expectations by being involved in yet another promotion battle this season, but Steve Parkin thinks they can get the better of their rivals in the long-run.
With back-to-back promotions already under their belts, no one expected Wrexham to be competing at the top of the League One table this season.
Phil Parkinson’s side have improved massively once more, and while the Wrexham manager has played down the promotion race, no one can deny that the Red Dragons have a great chance of another historic achievement.
Of course, the Wrexham squad will need some bolstering in January, but assistant manager Steve Parkin believes the team have an ace up their sleeve in the New Year.
Steve Parkin expects Wrexham to push on in the New Year
Speaking to The Leader about the hectic schedule over the festive period and the New Year, Parkin insisted Wrexham relish this challenge, and he suggested the side can come out in January and beyond ready to kick on and find some momentum.
Parkin said: “It really excites us. We’ve been here three seasons and it starts getting towards the business end of the season as soon as you get Christmas out of the way and into the New Year. That’s when fine margins are very important and the teams that you play are going to be good teams.
“Like against Blackpool, when you’re playing against a very good team, it’s small things that can get you the victory. It gets cranked up after Christmas but that’s exactly how we like it.”
Wrexham go into the New Year right in the thick of the promotion race alongside Birmingham City, Wycombe Wanderers, and Huddersfield Town, with close to half of the season played so far.
Wrexham didn’t improve in the second half of last season — the numbers prove it
Funnily enough, looking back at the most recent record in Wrexham’s history, the club didn’t actually do any better in the second half of last season than they did in the first.
In fact, Wrexham were remarkably consistent across both halves of their campaign in League Two, with a points-per-game average of 1.9 both before and after the New Year.
| 2023/24 season | Before New Year | After New Year |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game average | 1.916 | 1.909 |
| League games played | 24 | 22 |
| Won | 13 | 13 |
| Drawn | 7 | 3 |
| Lost | 4 | 6 |
| Points gained | 46 | 42 |
That’s testament to the consistency Wrexham have managed to exhibit over the course of a season, and if they can do the same again in 2025, they will certainly have a great shot at making it to the Championship at the first time of asking.
Maintaining their current levels will be a big ask for Wrexham, but if they can recruit smart in January, keep players fit, and build some momentum, there’s no reason they can’t go all the way.